Stevens' Samantha Schattin Tabbed E8 Softball Player of the Year as Awards and All-Conference Teams are Announced

5/1/2019 9:47:39 AM

Stevens took home all four major honors as the Empire 8 Conference announced its major honors and all-conference awards Thursday morning. Samantha Schattin led the way earning Player of the Year, while Marissa Cappello was tabbed the Pitcher of the Year, and Meg Halloran was named the conference's Rookie of the Year. The Ducks coaching staff, led by head coach Emily Kaczmarek, was recogninzed as the E8 Coaching Staff of the Year. 

To see the complete list of those that were honored, please see below. St. John Fisher led the way with four student-athletes being named First Team All-Conference selections, while Stevens and Utica each had three. All of the awards are selected by the league's head coaches. 

CLOSER LOOK
Schattin has had a remarkable year in helping lead the Ducks to a share of the E8 title. The junior currently leads the conference with 53 hits and is ranked in the top ten in a number of other statistical categories. The outfielder is currently among the league leaders in: batting average (.393), doubles (8), triples (2), total bases (65), walks (12) and on base percentage (.442). She was also named a First Team All-Conference selection for the second consecutive year.

Stevens' Marissa Cappello earned E8 Pitcher of the Year honors, as she enters the postseason with a mark of 12-4 and a sparkling 1.97 earned run average. Cappello is currently tied atop the E8 with her 128 strikeouts and opposing batters are hitting just .213 against her, which is currently a league-best mark. Cappello has thrown five shutouts this season and was also named a First Team All-Conference honoree. 

Meg Halloran was named the E8 Rookie of the Year by the league's head coaches. Halloran made an immediate impact in her first year on campus for the Ducks as she has started every game so far this season, and is currently hitting .358. The freshman has 44 hits, which is tied for the fifth-most in the league and she has also stolen 11 bases on the year heading into the E8 Championship Weekend. She was named a Second Team All-Conference selection as well. 

Stevens' Emily Kaczmarek was named the 2019 E8 Coach of the Year by her peers. Kaczmarek has led the Ducks to a 21-17 overall mark, including a 12-2 record in E8 play which earned them a share of the league regular season title. Seven of her student-athletes were honored as All-Conference selections, including the conference's player, pitcher, and rookie of the year winners. 

Player of the Year - Samantha Schattin, Stevens
Pitcher of the Year - Marissa Cappello, Stevens
Rookie of the Year - Meg Halloran, Stevens
Coaching Staff of Year - Stevens, led by Emily Kaczmarek 

 First Team All-Conference 
Catcher - Melissa Alfonso, Stevens
1B - Nicole Rice, Utica
2B - Marissa Tortora, Nazareth
3B - Sara Stransky, Utica
Shortstop - Sammie Torlish, St. John Fisher
Outfield - Sarah Simmons, Nazareth 
Outfield - Ashley Prince, St. John Fisher 
Outfield - Samantha Schattin, Stevens 
Utility - Jillian Murray, Alfred
DP - Abby Flakus, St. John Fisher
DP - Kaitlyn Paul, Utica
Pitcher - Emily Trotman, St. John Fisher
Pitcher - Marissa Cappello, Stevens
  
Second Team All-Conference
Catcher - MaryClaire Gosvenor, St. John Fisher
1B - Katie Tirabassi, Stevens
2B - Andrea Taboni, Houghton
3B - Tati Mejia, Alfred
Shortstop - Hannah Haskell, Houghton
Outfield - Alyssa Guitron, Alfred 
Outfield - Jessica Sardina, St. John Fisher 
Outfield - Meg Halloran, Stevens
Utility - Sadie Evans, Utica
Pitcher - Jessica Wilcox, Alfred
Pitcher - Christine LaRochelle, Stevens
 
Honorable Mention
Ashley Lugo, Alfred
Maddy Johnson, Elmira
Caitlyn Cybart, Houghton
Taylor Sile, Houghton
Amanda Kiriakos, Sage
Maddie Klidonas, St. John Fisher
Sarah Kubik, St. John Fisher
Julia Sortisio, St. John Fisher
Gina DeOliveira, Stevens
Jacqueline Aronin, Utica
Gabby Caccamo, Utica

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR TEAM
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2019 Softball Sportsman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
 
Sportswoman of the Year Team
Kelley Staub, Alfred
Rachel Katzenberger, Elmira
Kaylee Jentsch, Houghton
Delaney St. George, Nazareth
Cassidy Schaeffer, Sage
Sam Schermerhorn, St. John Fisher
Abby Circelli, Stevens
Rachel Caswell, Utica

ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com and https://youtu.be/wzL4HcDoUUQ